Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Luceil I. Plotner
1919 - 2008
HOISINGTON — Luceil I. Plotner, 88, died Jan. 3 at Clara Barton Hospital in Hoisington. Born Dec. 27, 1919, at
McCracken, she was the daughter of Ralph Monroe and Martha (Schlegel) Plotner. A resident of Hoisington since
1975, coming from Washington, D.C., she was a retired personnel relations worker for the U.S. government.
Ms. Plotner was a World War II Navy veteran.
Survivors include a sister, Evelyn Higgins of Hoisington; a niece, Carolyn Sekavec of Hoisington; two nephews,
Robert Higgins and Keith Higgins, both of Hoisington; several great- and great-great nieces and nephews. She was
preceded in death by a brother, Harold Ray Plotner; a niece, Marilyn Herdman; and a great-niece, Sharolyn Herdman.
Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. on Monday at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home in Hoisington with the Rev. Don
Fisher officiating. Burial will be at the McCracken Cemetery with flag presentation by Veterans of Foreign War Post
No. 7428 and the American Legion Post No. 286. Friends may visit from 2 to 6 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to service time
on Monday, all at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Bruce Woydziak Memorial Fire Department
Scholarship Fund in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home
415 N. Main
P.O. Box 146
Hoisington, KS 67544
620-653-4165
Virgil A. Kraisinger
1920 - 2008
La CROSSE — Virgil A. Kraisinger, 87, died Jan. 6 at the Rush County Nursing Home in La Crosse. Born Feb. 24,
1920, in Timken, he was the son of Charles and Flora (Erb) Kraisinger. A lifelong resident of Rush County, he was a
farmer and co-owner/operator of Monti’s Dress Shop in La Crosse, and sold insurance for many years. He married
Monti Emery on April 3, 1959, in Cincinnati, Ohio. She died May 1, 1987.
Mr. Kraisinger was a member of the Walnut City Lodge No. 215 in Rush Center, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post
No. 5147 and the American Legion Post No. 33, both of La Crosse, and the Fort Hays Shrine Club in Hays.
Survivors include a nephew, Mike Bieber of Beloit, and a niece, Jane Stephens of La Crosse. He was preceded in death
by his wife, and a sister, Ida Mae Bieber.
Graveside service will be at 10:30 a.m. today at the La Crosse City Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Fort
Hays Shrine Club in Hays.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Janousek Funeral Home
719 Pine
P.O. Box 550
La Crosse, KS 67548
Sammy Lee Bee
1945 - 2008
Sammy Lee Bee, 62, died Jan. 2 at his residence in Great Bend. Born Oct. 6, 1945, he was the son of John and Myrtle
Marie Parks Bee. A lifetime resident of Great Bend, he was a truck driver.
Mr. Bee was a United States Army veteran.
Survivors include his mother, Myrtle Borski of Visalia, Calif.; two brothers, Robert Bee of Reno, Nev., and John Bee
of Kansas; and three sisters, Virginia Waggoner of Hutchinson, Carol Roberts of Visalia, Calif., and Mary Davis of
Great Bend. He was preceded in death by his father, John Bee.
There will be no visitation or services as cremation has taken place. Memorials are suggested to the Sammy Bee
Memorial Fund in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
Tava Nixon Hawes
1920 - 2008
WICHITA — Tava Nixon Hawes, 87, died Jan. 6 at Via Christi Regional Medical Center, St. Francis Campus, after a
long illness. She was born Nov. 11, 1920, in Great Bend, the daughter of William A. and Blanche Smith Nixon. On
Feb. 8, 1953, she married George O. Hawes at Kansas City, Kan. He died April 6, 1996. She was a homemaker and had
lived most of her life in western Kansas. She graduated from Lewis High School in 1938. After graduation she moved
to Kansas City with her twin sister, Tima, to work.
Survivors include two sisters, Tima McIlvain of Plano, Texas, and Louisa Passman, Wichita; one brother, William A.
Nixon, M.D., Wichita, and several nieces and nephews.
Graveside service will be at 1:30 p.m. today at Great Bend Cemetery, with the Rev. Jack Singer presiding. Memorials
may be sent to Chrohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America in care of Morell Funeral Home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Morell Funeral Home
1021 Broadway
Larned, KS 67550
Lillian Rachel Taylor Long
1906 - 2007
On April 18, 1906, the earth quaked in San Francisco and Lillian Rachel was born on July 18, 1906, to Arthur E. and
Mabel Brinkman Taylor at St. Rose Hospital in Great Bend. Lillian Taylor’s mother and father were descendants of
two Great Bend founding families. Lillian graduated from Washburn College in Topeka, where she was president of
her senior class. Later she married Paul Q. Long on a hot morning in Kansas on July 4, 1931. Two children were born
to them, Elizabeth and Susan. Mrs. Long and her daughters followed Capt. Long to San Diego, Calif., Fort Bliss,
Texas, and Frederick, Md., where he was stationed during the Second World War.
After many years of packing and repacking their household including the years Mr. Long worked as a manager for the
Bell Telephone Co., they settled down in Great Bend to raise their children.
The Longs were members of the First Congregational Church. Besides church work and book club, Mrs. Long
belonged to the Great Bend Chapter of the A.A.U.W. She was also a Girl Scout leader for 25 years. Her last troop was
a small senior troop and she was very proud of all those girls. Mrs. Long celebrated her 100th birthday at a special
party in San Luis Obispo, Calif., attended by her nine grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and other family and
friends.
On Nov. 21 she passed away and was preceded in death by her daughter, Susan, and her husband Paul. She was
cremated and her ashes will be interred in the Great Bend Cemetery.
We who knew her will miss her dry wit, love of family, and joy at playing Mexican Train Dominoes.
If you wish to contribute to the Lillian Taylor Long and Paul Q. Long Scholarship Fund at Washburn University you
may call Charlotte Adair at 785-231-1010 at Washburn.
Norma Jean Erb
1931 - 2008
NESS CITY — Norma Jean Erb, 76, died Jan. 7 at her daughter’s home in Hays. Born Aug. 22, 1931, in rural La
Crosse, she was the daughter of Albert and Pauline Maier Brack. She married Fred L. Erb in Bazine on May 2, 1948.
He died Oct. 24, 2007. She was the owner and operator of several local cafes in Bazine and Ness City.
Survivors include four sons, Fred A. Erb of Longmont, Colo., Eugene A. Erb of Ness City, Donald D. Erb of Great
Bend and Steve D. Erb of Hays; a daughter, Vickie Hicks of Hays; two brothers, Dale Brack of Ness City and Dean
Brack of Weeping Water, Neb.; two sisters, Jeanette Foos of Bazine and Lila Bowman of Great Bend; 13
grandchildren, five step-grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her brother, Orville
Brack.
Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the United Methodist Church, Ness City, with the Rev. Darlene Nonhof
presiding. A private family inurnment in the Ness City Cemetery will take place at a later date. Friends may visit
Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City, to sign the memorial book from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday. The family will be
present to receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Memorial contributions may be sent to the American Cancer Society or to
the Hospice of Hays Medical Center.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Fitzgerald Funeral Home
207 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
Ness City, KS 67560
Edmund B. Keiter
LARNED — Edmund B. Keiter, 84, died Jan. 9, 2008 at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, Larned.
Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Morell Funeral Home, Larned.
Milton V. Turner
1929 - 2007
HEMET, Calif. — Milton V. Turner, 78, died Dec. 30 at his residence in Hemet, Calif. Born Jan. 23, 1929, at Sylvia,
he was the son of Thomas and Verda Barker Turner. He married Thorene Schaffter on March 24, 1956, at St. Patrick
Catholic Chapel in Great Bend. She survives. He was employed for 35 years with the Santa Fe Railroad.
Mr. Turner was a veteran of the Korean War.
Survivors include his wife, of the home; two sons, Douglas Turner and wife Patricia of Trabuco Cyn, Calif., and Jeffrey
Turner of Dallas, Texas; a daughter, Linda Segura Turner of Sevilla, Spain; two grandchildren, Sylvia and Daniel of
Sevilla, Spain; and a sister, Nina Sheppard of Alva, Okla. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Clinton
Turner, and a granddaughter, Stephanie.
A private family service will be held at a later date as cremation has taken place. Memorials are suggested to the
American Cancer Society in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
